There's also the genre's poster boy, Morgan Wallen, who has continued to tour stadiums worldwide, performing smash hits like "Last Night" and "Whiskey Glasses" to thousands of country fans.
Amid this hoedown revolution is an outlier. While many in today's music landscape have blended bits of pop, rock, and hip-hop into their country sound, Zach Bryan has made a name for himself by playing songs in the traditional, at times folkish, country manner.
Armed with a guitar, harmonica, whiskey, and slicked-back hair, the country star began making music in 2019 during his breaks while on deployment for the U.S. Navy. The tracks were uploaded to YouTube, and by 2021, the sailor was honorably discharged so that he could go on tour around the country.
Since then, he's been seen as the other side of the country coin, brutally honest and vulnerable in his tracks that sing of heartbreak, family, and reminiscing on better times. Typically using just his voice and an acoustic guitar, Bryan brought his nostalgic sound to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 last year with his Kacey Musgrave-assisted track, "I Remember Everything."
Ahead of Bryan's show at the Amerant Bank Arena at Sunrise on July 22, New Times has compiled a list of the singer's deep cuts and hits as a primer for those unfamiliar with his music catalogue.
"Let You Down"
Bryan is not the first modern-age cowboy who's sung about substance abuse — hell, one can argue that lyrics about drinking whiskey are essential for country albums — but he's probably the best at doing it. Assisted by a beautiful violin and a low, groovy bass, Bryan is singing to his lover about how he'll continue to let them down as he continues to give out excuses and pity himself. It's a declaration of how Bryan fears he's dragging both him and his partner down."Whiskey Fever"
There's something that is so damn charming about this song. Maybe it's Bryan's cadence or the raspiness in his voice. It could be the guitar that is hitting some of the nicest licks or the piano melody dancing along to the flow. It's a track you could envision being played in a modern saloon where all the local cowboys are drinking Jack Daniel's and Jim Beam. Either way, Bryan singing to the "whiskey river" to take him home after a night out on the town is one of his most fun songs. Definitely put this on the country pregame playlist."Something in the Orange"
"To you, I'm just a man/To me, you're all I am/Where the hell am I supposed to go?" Lyrics that have been echoed throughout countless bars and pool halls and drunk texts to exes past 2 a.m., what can be said about "Something in the Orange" that hasn't already been said about it? Released in 2022, the song is largely responsible for making Bryan one of the most recognizable country stars to audiences outside of the country music industry machine. The song sees Bryan reminiscing on a relationship that has gone astray and nearing its end has become widely beloved for the album version as well as the "Z&E" version, which is a bare-bones variant of Bryan singing soulfully with the aid of just a piano."Sandpaper" (featuring Bruce Springsteen)
Assisted by none other than the Boss, Bryan is in a more cheerful romantic mood as he and Springsteen compare their love for a girl to something that sandpaper can't smooth out. It's an interesting analogy, but lyrical maestros make it work and sound good. The pair can't get rid of the memory of loving this girl, being afraid to lose such a love. The backing vocals aid in the chorus and the Boss' guitar licks as the two trade verses further enhance the song. You won't even notice the metronome once you begin to fall in love with this song."Revival"
You couldn't make a list of Bryan tracks and not include "Revival." It's more than just the song that the "Hawk Tua" girl sang on stage with Bryan. It's the song that cemented his place as one of countries standout artists. Released in 2020, "Revival" is one track that stands out as one of his signature songs. It starts a bit dreary with the pangs of regret that Bryan is known for as he sings of shame and screams at the gods. The track then picks up as the drums and piano come in, and Bryan sounds almost drunk as he speaks of having an all-night revival. It's a song that sounds best when you and your best buds are hanging around a bonfire on a late-summer night. It's an anthemic at its core and should be sung as such.Bonus: Bryan's Poetry
Bryan is not only a beloved songwriter, but he's a damn good poet as well, showing off his penmanship on his album. He started his self-titled album with a beautiful poem titled "Fear and Fridays," which is also the name of another track on the project, as he compares the two. He repeats this in The Great American Bar Scene, starting with another poem, "Lucky Enough." Bryan's narration feels honest and shows he's one of the best writers in any genre. His ability to gravitate to topics such as fear and death while maintaining the persona of a cowboy shows why fans love him.Zach Bryan. With the War and Treaty and Levi and Turner. 7 p.m. Monday, July 22, at Amerant Bank Arena, 1 Panther Pkwy., Sunrise; 954-835-7000; amerantbankarena.com. Tickets cost $231 to $416 via seatgeek.com.
